a day in the life

On the 9th day {before} Christmas

Tonight you got your annual ornaments. Due to my favorite store ever, Don Drumm, Charlie you will have a supply of rocket, robot, and space ornaments for the next six or seven years.
And Lily, you of course had to get The Statue of Liberty this year.
You were just as excited as I thought you would be. I love the tradition of an ornament a year as by the time you are on your own, you will have a good start to your own trees, but oh my will it be hard to see the day those ornaments go...

On the 10th day {before} Christmas

Tonight we got to see Santa! Charlie you were so excited to wear your bow tie and Lily you jumped up and down at the thought of dressing in your Christmas outfit. This year we went to the closer mall and I am very glad we did. No line and lots of time with Santa. Both of you jumped right up on Santa's lap and he asked you (by name) what you wanted for Christmas. Charlie you said "Trains!" and Lily you said "Iridessa and The Beauty and the Beast movie." I love seeing you both enjoying the magic of Christmas.
While walking out a few ladies stopped to tell you how pretty you looked, Lily, and that you looked like a princess. And Charlie, upon hearing that, you said "I'm a Prince!" I think everyone is right :)

On the 11th day {before} Christmas

Tonight we started a new tradition-the cookie testing party. Thanks to the MOMS who thoughtfully created a bag of cookies for me even though I was unable to come to our annual Cookie Exchange, we had lots to choose from. We picked four cookies (that happened to have doubles) and cut them into four pieces. We then tested each and picked our two favorites to save for Santa on Christmas Eve. What a great idea Daddy! The before
YOU try and get a 2 1/2 year old to look at the camera with four cookies sitting in front of him ;) After we tested the cookies, Daddy asked everyone which one we wanted to give to Santa. When Daddy asked Charlie, he said "I think you should give that one to me."
Hee hee. We knew immediately which one was Lily's pick by her reaction.
All in all I think this was a successful start to a new tradition!

On the 12th day {before} Christmas

Tonight you got your annual Christmas jammies and once again, you were so excited. There was the moment when Lily thought she would not be able to wear last year's jammies anymore, but that was quickly remedied by the excitement of reading what your jammies said: "Staying up for Santa." Sorry honey, but that doesn't actually mean you get to stay up all night for Santa tonight. After the now annual sitting in your sister's lap, 
(which someday you will be WAY to big to do) you did what the two of you do best these days. Laugh, tickle, wrestle, and play.
And that is the best memory ever.

Ten (really Fourteen) on Tuesday::Scrapbooking Edition

A few weeks ago I scrapped for the day and got my 12 Days {Before} Christmas album done. And (gasp) I have actually scanned it! I really need to get on scanning the other ones too. Someday...but lets not dwell on what needs to be done, lets check out what is! Oh, and this will be an extra bonus edition of Ten on Tuesday I like to call Fourteen on Tuesday. Hey-it's my blog.

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9. Ok so yes, these are the postcards they have at Macy's. Yes I perhaps took two extra. But look how perfectly they work here! I have scanned them in now so each year I will print out the card and the kids (or their Mama) will write their letter to Santa here. How many pictures of their letter holder ornament thing do I really need?
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12. This scan is funky because I put all of the picture cards/cards with personal messages in a pocket so I can keep them. I am a keeper of cards-I do not throw them away like one girl I know...mmmmhhhh.
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Christmas Day

Today was every bit as fun and magical and hectic as I imagined.
This was the first year that Lily really got it. This was the first year that Charlie actively opened his presents. There was excitement about shirts and headbands, a unicorn Lily named Sally, cars, cars, cars, a puppet show, seeing family, pie, and just hanging out. I remember back to last Christmas when Charlie was barely standing up and Lily was still my little girl with so much toddler left in her. This year Charlie is talking. Figuring out how toys work on his own. Lily is a big girl excited about books because she know she will be reading them on her own soon. Telling elaborate stories and still playing princesses but adding more adventure to the play. We have changed a lot this year, but we are still the same silly, dramatic, funny family we have always been. And always will be. Thank you family for such a wonderful Christmas.

'Twas the night {before} Christmas

And it is finally here. Christmas Eve. As they sat on Daddy's lap tonight I thought about how much they have grown. How excited Lily is. How much of a little boy Charlie is. How I love our family so very much. I love taking pictures of my family so very much. I love to see how they have changed. What they get into. What they like to play with. I will look back on these pictures of my children sitting on their Daddy's lap with the fondest feeling as once upon a time I sat on my Daddy's lap bursting with anticipation. Not wanting the story to end, but so excited to go to bed. To sleep. To dream of Santa's sleigh out there in the night sky. To wake up to Christmas morning. To presents and fun and having those dreams come true.

On the 3rd day {before} Christmas

As with every year not my actual picture for today-just a placeholder for my Christmas card which I will share when I get back-I don't have my computer right now (*shudder, hives, hotflashes*) 
I love receiving mail. Especially good mail-not crummy bills or advertisements, but real mail. Even more so now that my mailbox is all the way down the street and while it is not Wyoming cold, it is cold and a bit of a pain to get. Christmas time mail is the best. Opening those cards carefully chosen or made by my family and friends. Old college roommates, coworkers of employment past, high school friends, close friends, far away friends, family, I love them all. I love the newsletters, the picture cards, I just love the mail. This year as we have a lot more on the walls now that we are much more settled than we were last year, I had to move my card tree down to right by the front door. Although I think it gives my hall a cheery greeting, I miss walking past my card tree throughout the day pausing to look at the faces of friends and family. I think that I will make sure next year it returns to a spot I can enjoy more next year. Because I really, really love these cards.

On the 4th day {before} Christmas

Tonight we finished packing our things for Ohio...including our stockings.
I can't believe in four years I have done the 12 days {before} Christmas I have never taken a picture of our stockings. They are very special to me and I looked high and low to get needlepoint stockings to match mine, which is on top. My stocking is handmade by my Grandma Rinehart and I love it. I love that Santa's beard and the little children's hair are 3D. I love that Santa is sneaking downstairs only to be caught by the children and the family dog. And most of all I love that the little boy is standing the way he is because that is exactly what Charlie does when he is excited to see something and the little girl sitting still playing with her brother, not noticing the visitor yet. Who knew all those years ago I would have children to match my precious stocking. You know, if Charlie had a red afro and all ;)

On the 5th day {before} Christmas

Dear Santa,
I was wondering, do you have a bag big enough to fit a puppet show in? I would really like a puppet show. And a girl bear. I guess my Mama thought that last year would be the last time she wrote this for me, but even though I can write (with help,) I decided to let her do it one more time. I think she really likes it. I have tried to be good this year and stay off the naughty list. I know I don't always listen the first time, or clean my room the first time I'm asked, but when I try really hard, I am very polite and do a very good job cleaning my room. I love my brother very much even though we don't always get along, you see how helpful I am in the morning while Mama is still getting ready right? And I like to share the rest of my snack with him and we play chase together when Mama is making dinner so I hope that counts. I am very excited about Christmas this year Santa. First because I get it. I can't wait for you to come to our house and eat our cookies and leave presents. And second, I can't wait to see Nonnie and Bapa and Mormor and Uncle Justin. And my friends. I just can't wait to see Maya. I miss her. It makes me sad. So I hope I did enough to stay off the Naughty list. I am very concerned about the Naughty list and I really don't want to be on it. Merry Christmas Santa!
love,
Lily

Dear Santa,
I know I wasn't super excited to sit on your lap this year, but I am excited for Christmas this year. I really love cars. And books. And I have a brand new fascination with Elmo. When Mama puts me to bed I now insist on Elmo books. I have been pretty good this year. As long as you overlook the fact that I was up from 10pm-3am last night. Apparently my parents had a lot to do so it wasn't the best timing for my party, but you can overlook that right? And the fact that I wrote all over the bench with crayon today while Mama was doing laundry? Because I am normally really helpful. When Mama or Daddy ask me to get something I go do it. Or when they say it's splish splash time I run over to the stairs signing splish splash. That's good right? And tonight when Daddy was talking about Bapa I went over to the fridge and pointed to Bapa. Then Nonnie, then Mormor. That means I love them very much and isn't that what Christmas is all about? Spending time with people you love? Then Daddy pointed to Charlie and I said baby. I'm cute too so I hope that you can forget about last night. And the crayons. And the climbing. Because I love Lily, and my Mama and Daddy, and all of my friends and my far away family. I miss them a lot too. And I'm really excited for Christmas.
love,
Charlie